Spurs could take Maddison to new heights with late move for £50m PL star

Submitted by daniel on
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After an opening game that didn't go to plan last Monday, Tottenham Hotspur made amends by blowing Everton away at home on Saturday to pick up their first win of the Premier League season.

Ange Postecoglou's side looked incredible going forward and reasonably solid at the back in a performance that should leave fans feeling encouraged about their prospects over the next ten months.

Alongside club captain Son Heung-min, who scored twice, last summer's £40m man, James Maddison, looked excellent in the middle of the park, picking up an assist and reminding people just how good he can be.

However, with the right players around him, he could reach another level and avoid the collapse in form he suffered last season. Interestingly, the club were linked to a player who'd help unlock the Englishman earlier this summer.

James Maddison's season of two halves

Maddison's arrival in North London last summer was greeted by a massive amount of excitement from the fans, and considering he had just produced 19 goal involvements in 32 games for a relegated Leicester City, it was entirely justified.

Moreover, it didn't take long for the former Foxes ace to show just how talented he was, as in his first ten league games for Postecoglou's new-look Spurs side, he scored three goals and provided five assists and looked as if he'd end the season as a nailed on starter for England and as one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, in the club's shocking 4-1 loss at home to Chelsea in early November, the Coventry-born dynamo suffered an ankle injury that would see him sidelined until the end of January, and while there was an expectation that he'd pick up where he left off for the Lilywhites, that didn't happen.

In his final 17 league games, the 27-year-old could only muster one goal and four assists, which was a far cry from the form he showed before his injury.

However, in his defence, following that defeat to Chelsea, the team seemed to morph from a lean mean winning machine to one incapable of keeping a clean sheet and one prone to throwing away points, which continued when he came back from injury, making his job far harder than it needed to be.

So, a new tenacious and hardworking midfield partner could be the perfect signing to make before the window closes to help Maddison maintain his impressive start to the season, and the club don't even have to look that hard to find the perfect candidate, as they were linked with him earlier this month: Joao Gomes.

How Joao Gomes could unlock Maddison

Yes, the midfield signing that could help Maddison play to his best ability this season is Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Gomes, who, according to a report earlier this month, was supposedly 'in the sights' of the club.

That report claimed that if Levy and Co wanted to pursue the Brazilian, they would have to stump up around £50m to secure the 23-year-old's signature, and while that's a lot of money, it would be well spent.

For example, one of Gomes' biggest strengths is that while at his best he is an "all action eight", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, he can also play in the six role if needed, meaning that he would be more than capable of helping out with the defensive work in the middle of the park, thus freeing up the Englishman to focus on happenings at the sharp end of the pitch.

In fact, Mattinson goes on to describe the eight-capped international as a "dog of a ball winner", which makes him sound like the ideal sort of player to ensure Postecoglou's side aren't overrun in midfield, and his underlying numbers only further solidify his defensive attributes.

For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the Rio de Janeiro-born ace sits in the top 1% of midfielders for tackles, the top 2% for tackles won, the top 3% for tackles plus interceptions, and the top 7% for blocks, all per 90.

Lastly, the 5 foot 9 international has been playing in the Premier League for a season and a half now and, as such, is far more experienced than some of the alternative options the club could potentially be looking at, so he should come in and hit the ground running.

Ultimately, Spurs cannot afford for Maddison to have another season in which he falls away in the second half, and one way to ensure that does not happen is to sign a tenacious, hard-working, Premier League-proven eight to play alongside him who can do all the dirty work and in turn, help the club maintain an element of control in matches, and Gomes fits the bill perfectly.

Therefore, while it would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, Levy and Co should do what they can to bring the Brazilian to N17 before the window slams shut on Friday night.